In Luke 11:37-54, we are going to watch Jesus as He goes to lunch with a group of Pharisees. Have you ever been invited to a lunch where you know you are going to get raked over the coals? Yet Jesus accepted the invitation despite the possibility of a clash. We are talking in this episode about legalism. Legalism is any fear-driven attempt to please God. The emphasis is on human effort to get salvation. We will examine both legalism and lawlessness as we watch Jesus deal with these religious lea...
Jan 20, 2025•49 min•Ep. 393
Jesus often used the image of light and its effect on darkness to teach us what happens when God's presence and truth come into our lives (Mt. 5:15; Mk. 4:21; Lk. 8:16; Jn. 1:4-18; 3:19-21; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35, 36, 45, 46). When He spoke of light, He was speaking of God explaining Himself to humans by His presence. Like light being turned on in a dark room, when God's truth and presence arrives in our lives, it exposes what is really there. The Lord's words that we are reading today were made as He...
Jan 16, 2025•52 min•Ep. 392
Why do our prayers seem to go unanswered or the answers seem cruel? Jesus teaches a disciple about prayer in Lk 11:1-13 by reminding him of the Lord's Prayer, and then He tells two parables about the heart of the Father. Anybody who has prayed for something and not seen it answered or who has been waiting for a long time for a prayer to be answered: this message is for you. To purchase Pastor Steve's newest book Understanding Romans: Life-Changing Lessons from Paul's Greatest Letter , visit Amaz...
Jan 13, 2025•53 min•Ep. 391
In Luke 10:38-42, we watch Mary's and Martha's interactions with Jesus when He visits them along with their brother Lazarus. Martha makes all the food and preparations while Mary sits at the Lord's feet. What is going on here? There are three options: did Jesus bring too many people to dinner? In other words, does God give us too much to do? Second, were too few people willing to help with the dinner? Or third, did Martha try to prepare too elaborate of a meal? We will look today at what happens...
Jan 09, 2025•40 min•Ep. 390
Christmas is traditionally a season during which we feel prompted to be generous with others. And it's only natural considering we are celebrating God's incomprehensible generosity toward us by sending His Son to rescue us from our sins. We who have freely received such kindness are naturally motivated to treat others in the same way God has treated us. This account of Jesus' conversation with a scholar of the Old Testament and the parable He uses is a wonderful passage to prepare our hearts to ...
Jan 06, 2025•57 min•Ep. 389
As Jesus prepares for a final evangelistic campaign, He tells His followers that after ministering through Samaria, Perea and Judea they will end up in Jerusalem where He will be arrested and killed. He warns them that the days ahead may bring hardship and even death for them as well. Then as they actually all begin to travel southward, the reality of what lies ahead begins to worry some of His disciples and test the depth of their commitment to Him. Luke records three brief conversations which ...
Jan 02, 2025•51 min•Ep. 388
After a Samaritan village rudely refused to welcome them, James and John, two brothers with a reputation for temper anyway (Mk. 3:17), angrily responded by wanting God to destroy the entire town. Had God done so, a lot of innocent people would have died without a chance to hear the gospel. How frequently we give up on people by deciding they are hopelessly beyond God's power to save—forgetting how much persistent love it took for God to reach us. When He corrected His disciples, Jesus warned the...
Dec 30, 2024•50 min•Ep. 387
Jesus makes some strong statements in Luke 9:43-48 about greatness in His kingdom. His idea of greatness is so radically different than what we normally find in human experience that it is shocking. In this passage Jesus talks about seeing ourselves in an entirely different light. God doesn't establish leadership based on outward appearance, education, social status or other human measurements for greatness. He is looking for a person who has chosen to become like a child. To purchase Pastor Ste...
Dec 26, 2024•41 min•Ep. 386
Jesus has been up on the Mount of Transfiguration, and He and His disciples are now coming back into the valley and into all of the confusion, disease, suffering and strife that is going on. The disciples have been praying for a young boy, and they have failed to heal him. How many of us have prayed for things and have failed to have an answer? The way we respond in that situation is important. In this account, we see how the Lord wants us to wait in the valley. To purchase Pastor Steve's newest...
Dec 23, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 385
How is it possible to "take up a cross daily" and not grow depressed or exhausted by the process? Jesus has just exhorted His disciples that He must suffer and that they must suffer if they are to be His disciples, but the prospect of this kind of life can seem overwhelming unless God has provided much support along the way. Here on Mount Hermon we see the Father strengthen His Son in ways that ought not only amaze us because of their miraculous nature, but encourage us because we see principles...
Dec 19, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 384
Suffering, personal sacrifice and persecution aren't God's wil for us in tfie sense ttiat He enjoys watching us suffer, but these are unavoidable realities given the condition of the human heart and the influence of Satan. Why does Christianity always conflict with the world? To purchase Pastor Steve's newest book Understanding Romans: Life-Changing Lessons from Paul's Greatest Letter , visit Amazon . Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors an...
Dec 16, 2024•49 min•Ep. 383
On this episode we are looking at Jesus miraculously feeding about 15,000 people, counting the women and children. And there's quite a lesson we can learn from it. To purchase Pastor Steve's newest book Understanding Romans: Life-Changing Lessons from Paul's Greatest Letter , visit Amazon . Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have free recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge. And check us out on Instagram ...
Dec 12, 2024•54 min•Ep. 382
Some people are not looking for God. Others are people who are ready to hear, and the Lord knows their name and is determined to reach them so they may be saved. In Luke 9:1-6, Jesus is sending out the 12 apostles which He has selected for a trial run. Their assignment is to preach the kingdom of God, pray for the sick, cast out demons. They are to do what they have seen Him doing. Jesus is training His 12 because He wants to reach everyone who is looking for Him. We have marching orders today j...
Dec 09, 2024•48 min•Ep. 381
Where does love come from? We all know we need more of it, but wanting to love and actually being able to love are two different things. In this account of Jesus in the home of Simon the Pharisee, the Lord reveals a powerful truth about the source of real love. He says that a person's love for God begins as a response to His mercy. And though this passage does not go on to explain how our love for God affects our love for other people, the Bible certainly teaches that truth elsewhere (see: 1 Jn....
Dec 05, 2024•54 min•Ep. 380
We are joining Jesus and the disciples in a boat on the Sea of Galilee when suddenly a storm comes up. The disciples are full of fear and full of accusation. We have a tendency to do the same thing when things get difficult. But following the Lord doesn't mean we won't encounter hardship. Listen to find out what we can learn from Jesus stilling the storm in Luke chapter 8. To purchase Pastor Steve's newest book Understanding Romans: Life-Changing Lessons from Paul's Greatest Letter , visit Amazo...
Dec 02, 2024•47 min•Ep. 379
A parable is a story from practical life that has a spiritual application. So when we understand the story, we see a principle about the spiritual realm. That is true here as Jesus teaches the parable of the sower from Luke chapter 8. To purchase Pastor Steve's newest book Understanding Romans: Life-Changing Lessons from Paul's Greatest Letter , visit Amazon . Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have free recorded classes a...
Nov 28, 2024•48 min•Ep. 378
Over the years I have talked with a steady stream of people who sheepishly admit that they are wrestling with doubts about God. Even as they are telling me this, they frequently drop their voice to the level of a whisper, afraid that others might hear their confession. Do good Christians ever have doubts about their faith? Is it wrong for people to ask hard questions or even be skeptical of some of the claims people make about spiritual experiences? One truth we discover from this event in the l...
Nov 25, 2024•37 min•Ep. 377
In Luke 7:1-10 the centurion exhibited faith that released the healing power of God to another person. That it is possible to believe God for another's healing is a very important truth. Many of us have friends and family who are ill or suffering in other ways, and we would love to be able to assist them in receiving God's miracle power. Let's gather some insights concerning the centurion's faith. To purchase Pastor Steve's newest book Understanding Romans: Life-Changing Lessons from Paul's Grea...
Nov 21, 2024•45 min•Ep. 376
A disciple is someone who believes in the Lord and intends to serve Him. That doesn't mean you don't have another job. But we are talking about the orientation of the heart. For every disciple, the call on our lives is to preach the gospel and make other disciples. A disciple is constantly in the process of bringing people to Christ and teaching people to obey all that Jesus has commanded (Mt 28:18-20). In disciple making, our heart is what is finally reproduced in others, so we need to be sure ...
Nov 18, 2024•46 min•Ep. 375
What kinds of responses are we to have when we meet hostility? Jesus has just appointed 12 apostles from among his disciples. He is planning on his own disciples making other disciples. In Luke 6:27-38 Jesus talks about a disciples' attitude toward hostile unbelievers. Jesus says, "When you make disciples, you are going to hit persecution. And these are the attitudes I want you to have when you do." To purchase Pastor Steve's new book Understanding Acts: Life-Changing Lessons from the Early Chur...
Nov 14, 2024•49 min•Ep. 374
Disciples will test each of these areas: money, appetites & physical comfort, emotional peace and popularity. Each of these will tend to hold us back from obedient service. Jesus is not talking about personal disciplines or scolding those who enjoy humor or condemning anyone with a good income to hell (the poor aren't going to heaven because they're poor anymore than the rich are going to hell because they're rich). Jesus is warning us of forces that stifle fruitfulness in a disciple. Today ...
Nov 11, 2024•32 min•Ep. 373
Jesus didn't trick people into becoming disciples, neglecting to mention the hardships until people were too far in to back out. He didn't try to sell them by focusing only on the benefits. He didn't suggest people try discipleship for a little while and then if they didn't like it, they could always quit. No, He came right out and explained, in detail, the persecutions they would face and the personal transformation that would be required. He wanted people to make an informed choice and to coun...
Nov 07, 2024•54 min•Ep. 372
In Luke 6:1-5, we're looking at an event in Jesus' ministry where the subject of the Sabbath comes up. We'll look at what the issues were, what the Lord says about it, and we'll look at some practical things about the business of giving a day to the Lord. We'll talk about whether it's required or not and what might be the benefits of it. To purchase Pastor Steve's new book Understanding Acts: Life-Changing Lessons from the Early Church , visit Amazon . Also check out our website at lifelessonspu...
Nov 04, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 371
The new wine is an illustration that Jesus gives. The Pharisees, along with the disciples of John the Baptist, can't understand why Jesus and His disciples are not adhering to the same rituals, like fasting and Sabbath observance, that they do. Jesus answers in Luke 5:34-39 and says, "I am bringing a new spiritual walk with God. I am not rejuvenating Judaism. I am making a break and introducing a whole new walk with God." What we have as Christians is deeply, foundationally different than any ma...
Oct 31, 2024•48 min•Ep. 370
As we read Luke's account of that first Resurrection Day, we are startled by the unbelief and confusion in the disciples as they discover the Lord has been resurrected. If Jesus had never explained what would happen to Him, their response might have been understandable. But that was not the case. Jesus had clearly taught that He would die and rise again after three days (see; Lk. 9:22-24,44,45; Mt. 12:40; 16:21-25; Jn. 2:18-22). Oddly enough, though His own disciples did not understand Him, the ...
Oct 28, 2024•42 min•Ep. 369
In this account of the Lord's calling of Matthew to be His disciple, we see a stark contrast between the heart of God and the attitudes of religious people toward unbelievers. Whereas God is merciful and aggressive in seeking to rescue lost people, religion tends to build up a wall of separation. First we need to understand how and why that wall builds up, then we need to look carefully at Jesus and listen to some of His pertinent parables to discover how God wants us to relate to unbelievers. T...
Oct 24, 2024•45 min•Ep. 368
When people reached Jesus, their restoration came easily. But there are obstacles that keep us from coming to Jesus and receiving His care. Our lesson today gives us two powerful examples of people who refused to let obstacles keep them from receiving from Jesus. As we read these accounts, not only do we see Jesus' power to touch lives, but we are prophetically confronted by models of aggressive faith. These people pressed through hindrances until they reached Jesus. Once they were face to face ...
Oct 21, 2024•53 min•Ep. 367
America is now a nation of religious and cultural pluralism, witti a Christian minority. As a society, we are rapidly discarding the Judeo-Christian worldview and ethics that were the agreed upon norm of past generations. Biology, geology, astronomy, and psychology in particular have been used to sever us from our theological roots. Also, nearly uncontrolled immigration has accelerated us toward pluralism by introducing foreign religions with growing populations of adherents. At the same time, h...
Oct 17, 2024•47 min•Ep. 366
If you knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that God existed, that the Bible was true, that there was a heaven and a hell, that Jesus Christ is the savior, would you be His disciple? How would that change your life? What would it do to you? Jesus has just done a miracle by bringing a load of fish into Peter's net, and Peter now knows God is real. In this episode we look closely at the process of Jesus doing a miracle and the effects on Peter seeing and receiving it. To purchase Pastor Steve's new b...
Oct 14, 2024•46 min•Ep. 365
For most of the past 30 years Jesus has been a normal young man in Nazareth, except, of course, for the fact that He has done nothing to disobey God. He had become the village carpenter, working alongside Joseph His stepfather, and He was regularly found studying in the synagogue and known to be a godly man by the whole village (Lk. 2:52). But over the last few months God has done some profound things in His life. He has been baptized in the Holy Spirit, fasted for forty days, was tempted by the...
Oct 10, 2024•55 min•Ep. 364
